Roxanne Loving PDR 1

Teaching Literature : Performative Literacy and Close Reading Practices

Focus Text : The Destructors by Graham Greene Grade(s): 11-12 Time: 90 minutes+

Common Core State Standards for Reading
Literature:
RL11-12:1 - Cite strong and thorough textual evidence
to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text, including
determining where the text leaves matters uncertain
RL11-12:2 - Determine two or more themes or central
ideas of a text and analyze their development over the
course of the text, including how they interact and build
on one another to produce a complex account
Objectives - Students will be able to:
Track understanding while reading in order to enhance
focus, embrace questioning, and extend thinking;
generate questions based on this tracking
Participate in a focused close-reading of a passage
Identify and support multiple themes for The
Destructors

Background Information and Overview of Rationale

Prior to this lesson, students should practice identifying and supporting themes in texts. Because this lesson focuses
on the process of reading strategies with complex texts, examining theme with less complex texts and/or images may
be helpful in developing the foundation for this lesson.

In Performative Literacy: The Habits of Mind of Highly Literature Readers, Blau (2003) identifies performative literacy
as an enabling knowledge knowledge that enables readers to activate and use all the other forms of knowledge that
are required for the exercise of anything like critical or disciplined literacy (p. 19). This lesson focuses on four of the
seven traits of performative literacy that Blau outlines: a willingness to re-read, tolerance for ambiguity, a willingness to
change ones mind, and metacognitive awareness. The Common Cores focus on complex texts necessitates a
student reader who understands that reading is a process; these performative literacy skills provide a foundation for
reading complex literature.

Materials: Resources:
-Copy of The Blau, S. Performative literacy: The habits of mind of highly literate readers. (2003). Voices
Destructors (print from the Middle, 10(3), 18-22. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.gardner-webb.edu/login?
version or PDF) url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.gardner-webb.edu/docview/213934150?
-Computer or iPad accountid=11041.
access (students will
need to access Padlet Carillo, E. C. (2017). How students read: Some thoughts on why this matters. English
and Google Docs) Journal, 106(5), 34-39. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.gardner-webb.edu/login?url=http://
-Exit Ticket search.proquest.com.ezproxy.gardner-webb.edu/docview/1898422831?accountid=11041.
-Lesson Presentation
-Padlet Gallagher, K. (2004). Deeper reading: Comprehending challenging texts 4-12. Portland, ME:
-Google Doc Stenhouse.

National Council of Teachers of English. (2012, Sept.). Reading instruction for all students
(Policy research brief). Retrieved from http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/
Journals/CC/0221-sep2012/Chron0221PolicyBrief.pdf.

Turner, K.H., & Hicks, T. (2015). Connected reading: Teaching adolescent readers in a
digital world. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.

Procedures
Task
Pre-Reading
In their daybooks/notebooks/writing space,
students will write for 3-4 minutes about their
reactions to reading when a text is difficult to
understand. (Text in this sense could also be a
confusing movie, TV show, song, etc.) After time is
up, students (and teacher) will share and discuss
ideas
Next, the teacher will explain that the lesson today
will include an analysis of theme (previously
discussed in class) but will also include a focus on
reading strategies that will help them understand a
complex story while also pushing their thinking
about theme.
Before reading the story, students will participate in
the Padlet pre-reading activity by brainstorming
their initial thoughts to the word destructors.
Students can add images, words, and/or links to
the Padlet.
First Reading - Reading for Questions
Students complete a first reading of The
Destructors. During this reading, students track
their understanding by highlighting (if feasible -
digitally or on paper) or by using sticky notes to
note where their understanding is clear and where
it is unclear. The teacher will model the first several
paragraphs of the text using this strategy. The
students should jot down any questions they have
at moments when their understanding is not clear. If
students feel like they need to re-read in order to
gain understanding, they should also make a note
of that.
Students are encouraged to make a note of their
understanding at least once in each section of the
story (sections 1, 2, 3, and 4), but are free to make
as many notes as necessary.
After reading the story, students will complete the
Before Discussion section of the exit ticket.
Roxanne Loving PDR 1
Rationale/Purpose/Explanation
Pre-Reading
Discussing students prior knowledge and ideas about
reading difficult texts facilitates the metacognitive
awareness that Sheridan Blau (2003) describes as one
element of performative literacy. This practice will serve
as the foundation for other reading strategies used in the
lesson.
This explanation helps to bridge students prior
knowledge with this lesson (a mini-lesson on theme and/
or structure can be inserted here if students need a
refresher or are not familiar with the terms). While
students will participate in a focused close-reading for
one particular portion of the story, asking students to
utilize a broader strategy for reading (one that connects
the text to their own questions, assumptions, and
challenges), allows for both a text-based and situation-
based approach as outlined in the NCTE policy research
brief Reading Instruction for All Students.
The use of Padlet to engage in a pre-reading brainstorm
facilitates connected reading (Turner and Hicks, 2015)
by allowing students to engage and evaluate
information, share information with their peers, and link
to outside resources.
First Reading - Reading for Questions
This activity emphasizes the idea that comprehension is
a process (Blau, 2003). Kelly Gallagher (2004) also
describes similar strategies, which he calls color
coding (p. 68) and trouble-slips (p. 69).
The pre-discussion self-assessment serves as a starting
point. Students will reflect on this point and will complete
the exit ticket at the end of the lesson.
 Roxanne Loving PDR 1

Second Reading - Reading for Clarity/Theme Second Reading - Reading for Clarity/Theme
Students will be divided into groups of four. In each Here, students are practicing embracing ambiguity (likely
group, students will discuss their moments of about the ending of the story, the reason Trevor wanted
clarity/confusion while reading. In these groups, to destroy the house, etc).
students should work toward clarifying the story,
addressing the questions of those in the group, and
building understanding. Unanswered questions can
be left open; answers are not required.
In each group, students will be assigned a letter (A,
B, C, or D). Students will then divide to work with
their letter groups (all As together, Bs together, etc).
In these groups, students will focus on a re-reading
of a specific section of the text (As will read section
1, Bs section 2, Cs section 3, and Ds section 4).
In their focus group, students will use the Say/Do This Say/Do protocol is described in How Students
strategy to analyze the text. In this activity, students Read: Some Thoughts On Why This Matters" by Ellen
stop every 3-4 paragraphs to summarize what the Carillo (2017). As a close-reading strategy, this
text says and explain what that section does in encourages students to grapple with the text even more,
terms of contributing to the overall meaning of the search for clarity but generate more questions, and
text and theme. explore theme.
After analyzing their section, students will identify
one theme that they believe that section is
developing. They will list their theme plus the
evidence on the Google Doc.

Post-Reading
Back with their original groups, students will clarify Activities in the final part of the lesson plan focus on the
any remaining questions (with insights gained from theme and textual evidence standards while building
the focus groups). upon the students comprehension and analysis process
Groups will then work to identify one over-arching work.
theme for the text and should support the theme
with at least one piece of evidence from each
section of the story. Groups will share their final
themes, support, and explanation in the bottom
portion of the assignment Google Doc.
Finally, students will complete the After
Discussion portion of the exit ticket before leaving
class. This ticket asks them to respond to one other
groups choice for theme in the text and also reflect
on their experience in tracking their understanding,
asking questions, close-reading to clarify, and
synthesizing their ideas with those of their peers.

Assessment

Several formative assessments are utilized in this lesson:

-Pre-reading activities function as an opportunity for students to become acquainted with the purpose and focus of the
lesson while also allowing the teacher to see where students stand in terms of their initial reactions about reading and
understanding difficult texts.
-Student discussion throughout the lesson should be observed as a way to gauge the effectiveness of the group
discussions; the teacher can redirect, question, and join discussion as needed.
-The Google Doc and exit ticket assessments assess both the CCSS for this lesson (textual evidence/support and
theme) as well as the reading strategies utilized and the impact of those strategies on student understanding.